COLONIE – After a multi-agency investigation, four men were arrested on Saturday, Dec. 2, for allegedly trying to meet underage girls for sex.
According to Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple, the four were arrested in Colonie as part of a sex trafficking investigation involving his agency, State Police, Colonie police and the FBI.
Undercover investigators pretended to be underage girls and the men agreed to meet them for sex, Apple said.
The four men are:
-Pennsylvania resident Edward Neville, 57, is charged with the felonies attempted promotion of an obscene sexual performance by a child, attempted rape and attempted criminal sex act.
-Mark Schmidt, 68, of Altamont, is charged with attempted criminal sex act and attempted rape.
-Daniel Mayer, 20, of Baldwin, is charged with attempted rape.
-Russell Blair, 32, of West Sand Lake, is charged with attempted rape and patronizing a person for prostitution.
All four were arraigned in Colonie Town Court on Sunday, Dec. 3 and remanded to the Albany County jail.